PRINTING MACHINE WITH INTERCHANGEABLE PARTS, AND DEVICE AND METHOD FOR INTERCHANGING PARTS IN SUCH A PRINTING MACHINE

Abstract: When operating parts, such as a plate cylinder (3), a doctor blade (4), an inking cylinder (5) and an ink trough (6), are to be inserted in a printing machine (13), said operating parts (3, 4, 5,6) are placed temporarily secured to a frame (2) adapted to move on a carriage (1) transversely to the latter's direction of motion. Then, the carriage (1) is placed in position in front of the printing machine (13), the front panel of which has previously been removed. After this, the frame (2) is run partially into the printing machine (13), causing the operating parts (3, 4, 5, 6) to be released from the frame (2), after which means in the printing machine (13) transfer them to their final positions, in which they are held securely in the printing machine (13). When said operating parts (3, 4, 5, 6) are to be removed from the printing machine (13), the procedure is carried out in the reverse sequence.

Description: PRINTING MACHINE WITH INTERCHANGEABLE PARTS, AND DEVICE AND METHOD FOR INTERCHANGING PARTS IN SUCH A PRINTING MACHINE. TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a printing machine of the kind set forth in the preamble of claim 1, comprising ope¬ rating parts for performing at least one of a number of different operations. BACKGROUND ART These operations may be "proper" printing operations, such as letterpress printing, photogravure or rotogravure, offset printing, flexography, electronic printing or silk-screen printing, but also related operations capable of being per¬ formed in printing works, such as "hot melt", cold sealing, lamination, "hot foil", punching or embossing. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION It is the object of the present invention to make it possible to use a printing machine of one and the same basic construc¬ tion for performing any one or any selected ones of these operations, as need may arise. This object is achieved by means of the features set forth in the characterizing clause of claim 1. With this arrangement, the printing machine may be adapted to the function required at any time. The invention also relates to a device for inserting or removing operating parts into or from such a printing ma- chine, and this device is characterized as set forth in claim 3. Finally, the invention relates to a method as set forth in the preamble of claim 5, according to the invention compri¬ sing the insertion steps set forth in the characterizing clause of claim 5, and the removal steps set forth in the characterizing clause of claim 6. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the following detailed portion of the present description, the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the exemplary embodiment of a printing machine according to the invention shown in the drawing, in which Fig. 1 in perspective shows a carriage with a frame, in which are placed operating parts to be inserted in a printing machine, Figs. 2-5 show various stages during the insertion of the operating parts in the printing machine, and Fig. 6 shows a carriage adapted for holding one of the ope¬ rating parts. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Fig. 1 shows a carriage 1, on which a frame 2 is supported for translatory movement transverselly of the direction of movement of the carriage, said frame 2 supporting a plate cylinder 3, a doctor blade 4, an inking cylinder 5 and an ink trough 6, all to be inserted into a printing machine 13. As shown with an arrow, the carriage 1 may be moved in through the front side of the printing machine 13, the front panel of which has previously been removed. As may be seen more clearly from Fig. 2, the stub shafts of the plate cylinder 3 are held onto brackets 8 on the frame 2 by means of pivoted hooks 7. In a corresponding manner, the stub shafts of the inking cylinder 5 are held onto brackets 11 on the frame 2 by means of pivoted hooks 12. The ink trough 6 is also held by these brackets 11. The doctor blade 4 is secured to a carriage 9, the wheels of which are guided in tracks in brackets 11 on the frame 2. As shown in Fig. 2, a piston rod in a piston-cylinder unit 24 in the printing machine 13 has been moved forward to engage a recess in a projection 25 on the frame 2, the latter then, when this piston rod is retracted, being shifted on the carriage 1 until it is in the position partly inside the printing machine 13 as shown in Fig. 3. In this position of the frame 2, fixed stops 14 and 17 in the printing machine 13 have come into engagement with the pivoted hooks 7 and 12, thus freeing the stub shafts for the plate cylinder 3 and the inking cylinder 5. The stub shafts of the plate cylinder 3 are now engaged by pivoted forks 15 in the printing machine 13, said forks moving the plate cylinder 3 to its final position in the printing machine 13, in which it is held against a counterpressure cylinder 16 by means not shown in detail (cf. the co-pending DK Patent Application No. 125/93). After this, the stub shafts of the inking cylinder 5 are engaged by pivoted forks 18 and made to swing to a position vertically below pivoted brackets 23 in the printing machine 13, after which the inking cylinder 5 is elevated by a piston-cylinder unit 20 in the printing machine 13 to a position, in which it is held firmly between these pivoted brackets 23. At the same time, studs on the ink trough 6 have been gripped by pivoted forks 19, cf. Figs. 2 and 4, and elevated by a piston-cylinder unit 21 in the printing machine 13 to be held in a position below the pivoted brackets 23. After the pivoted forks 18 and 19 have been withdrawn by means of the piston-cylinder units 20 and 21, the piston rod in a piston-cylinder unit 22 in the prin¬ ting machine 13 is brought into engagement with the carriage 9, on which the doctor blade 4 is secured, and moves the carriage 9 from the tracks in the brackets 10 on the frame 2 into tracks in the pivoted brackets 23 in the printing machine 13, thus causing the doctor blade 4 to be brought into operative abutment against the inking cylinder 5 as shown in Fig. 4, this Figure likewise showing that the frame 2, from which the operating parts 3,4,5 and 6 now have been removed, is again shifted by the piston rod in the piston-cylinder unit 24 on the carriage 1 outwardly from its position partly inside the printing machine 13 to its position in front of the latter, after which the piston rod in the piston-cylinder unit 24 is freed from the projec¬ tion 25 on the frame 2 and withdrawn as shown in Fig. 5, this Figure likewise showing that the pivoted brackets 23 in the printing machine 13 have been pivoted upwardly to a position, in which the surface of the inking cylinder 5 abuts against the surface of the plate cylinder 3. It is now possible to replace the front panel on the printing machine 13, and the carriage 1 may be moved away from its position in front of the printing machine 13. When the parts 3, 4, 5 and 6 are to be removed from the printing machine 13, the process is carried out in the op¬ posite sequence. Fig. 6 shows, partly from the rear and partly from the side, the carriage 9, in the embodiment described above being used for holding the doctor blade 4, but it may be modified for use in holding other operating parts in a printing ma¬ chine. The carriage 9 comprises an oblique plate member 26 abutting against the rear of the doctor blade and having screws 27 and 28 for securing the latter. At the ends of the plate member 26 blocks 29 are secured, having wheels 30 for en¬ gagement in the tracks for guiding the carriage 9. Further, the carriage 9 is provided with a lower oblique plate member 31 extending across the width of the doctor blade, adapted to guide ink dripping from the doctor blade down into the ink trough 6. It will be appreciated that it will be possible to remove and replace the counterpressure cylinder 16 shown in the drawing in a similar manner as described above with regard to the parts 3, 4, 5 and 6, by using a carriage corresponding to the carriage 1 and adapted to be placed in position at the rear of the printing machine 13, when the latter's rear panel has been removed. LIST OF PARTS 1 Carriage 2 Frame 3 Plate cylinder 4 Doctor blade 5 Inking cylinder 6 Ink trough 7 Hook 8 Bracket 9 Carriage 10 Bracket 11 Bracket 12 Hook 13 Printing machine 14 Fixed stop 15 Fork 16 Counterpressure cylinder 17 Fixed stop 18 Fork 19 Fork 20 Piston-cylinder unit 21 Piston-cylinder unit 22 Piston-cylinder unit 23 Bracket 24 Piston-cylinder unit 25 Projection 26 Oblique plate member 27 Screw 28 Screw 29 Block 30 Wheel 31 Lower oblique plate member

Claims: AMENDED CLAIMS [received by the International Bureau on 22 June 1994 (22.06.94); original claims 1-5 amended; remaining claims unchanged (4 pages)] 1. Device for inserting or removing operating parts (3, 4, 5, 6) into or from a printing machine (13) compri- sing: a) a carriage (1) adapted to be placed in a position facing a removable front panel in the printing machine (13), characterized by b) on the carriage (1), a frame (2) adapted to be moved into the printing machine (13) after said front panel having been removed, said frame at suitable levels having releasable securing means (7, 8, 10, 11, 12) for releasably securing that part or those parts (3, 4, 5, 6) to be inserted or removed, said releasable securing means being released by cooperation with releasing means (14, 17) adapted thereto situated in the printing machine (13), c) means situated in the printing machine (13) for re¬ leasably securing that part or those parts (3, 4, 5, 6) to be inserted or removed, as well as transfer means (15, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22) adapted to transfer this part or these parts (3, 4, 5, 6) from the secu¬ ring means (7, 8, 10, 11, 12) having been released on the frame (2) to the securing means in the printing machine (13) having been released, or vice versa, and d) means situated in the printing machine (13) adapted to bring the securing means into their securing po¬ sition before and/or during removal of the frame (2) from the printing machine (13). 2. Device according to claim 3, characterized in that at least one (4) of the operating parts is secured to a carriage (9) adapted to be transferred from slide tracks in brackets (10) on the frame (2) to slide tracks in brackets (23) in the printing machine (13), or vice versa. 3. Method of inserting or removing a plate cylinder, a doctor blade (4), an inking cylinder (5) and an ink trough (6) into or from a printing machine (13) by using a device according to claims 1 or 2, characterized by comprising the following steps for inserting said parts: a) placing into the frame (2) in sequence from above al) the plate cylinder (3) with its stub shafts abutting against brackets (8) on the frame (2) and held by . pivoted hooks (7), a2) the doctor blade (4) secured to a carriage (9) in brackets (10) in the frame (2), a3) the inking cylinder (5) secured with its stub shafts abutting against brackets (11) on the frame (2) and held by pivoted hooks (12), and a4) the inking trough (6) suspended in the last-mentioned brackets (11), b) moving the carriage (1) into a position facing the front of the printing machine (13) after the latter's front panel having been removed and moving the frame (2) into the printing machine (13), so that stops (14, 17) in the printing machine (13) engage the hooks (7, 12) holding the stub shafts of the plate cylinder (3) and the inking cylinder (5) and freeing said stub shafts, c) gripping the stub shafts of the plate cylinder (3) by pivoted forks (15) in the printing machine (13) and by means of these pivoted forks (15) transferring the plate cylinder to its final securely held position in the printing machine (13), d) gripping the stub shafts of the inking cylinder (5) and studs on the ink trough (6) by pivoted forks (18, 19) and swinging the cylinder (5) and the ink trough (6) to a position below pivoted brackets (23) in the printing machine, as well as elevating the inking cylinder (5) and the ink trough (6) by means of fluid-driven piston-cylinder units (20, 21) to their securely held positions in and below said pi¬ voted brackets (23) respectively, e) engaging the carriage (9) of the doctor blade (4) by the piston in a fluid-driven piston-cylinder unit (22) in the printing machine (13) and withdrawal of said piston, so that the wheels (30) of said carriage (9) are moved into tracks in the pivoted brackets (23) in the printing machine (13), f) removing the frame (2) from the printing machine (13), g) swinging the pivoted brackets (23) with the inking cylinder (5) and the doctor blade (4) to the final positions of the latter in the printing machine (13), and h) replacing the front panel of the printing machine (13). 4. Method according to claim 3, characterized by the following steps for removing said operating parts (3, 4, 5, 6) from the printing machine (13): a) moving the carriage (1) to a position facing the front side of the printing machine (13) after the latter's front panel having been removed, and moving the empty frame (2) into the printing machine (13), so that the holding hooks (7, 12) are lifted by the stops (14, 17), b) swinging the pivoted brackets (23) with the doctor blade (4) and the inking cylinder (5) to the removal position of the latter two, c) by means of the piston-cylinder unit (22) moving the carriage (9) of the doctor blade (4) from the tracks in the pivoted brackets (23) in the printing machine (13) to the tracks in the brackets (10) on the frame (2), d) freeing the inking cylinder (5) and the ink trough (6) from the position, in which they have been held in and below the pivoted brackets (23) respectively and removal of these operating parts (5, 6) by means of the piston-cylinder unit (20, 21) and placing them on the brackets (11) on the frame (2) by• • means of the pivoted forks (18, 19), e) freeing the plate cylinder (3) from the position, in which it has been held in the printing machine (13), and swinging the stub shafts of this cylinder by . means of the forks (15) to their position on the brackets (8) on the frame (2), f) removal of the frame (2) from the printing machine (13), so that the hooks (7, 12) are moved into their securing position above the stub shafts of the plate cylinder (3) and the inking cylinder (5) respectively, and g) replacing the front panel on the printing machine (13). 5. Method according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the steps of the method are controlled sequentially by a computer.

Inventors: RIIS EINAR KAJ, RIIS, EINAR, KAJ
Applicants: LEOPRINT MASCHINEN GMBH, RIIS EINAR KAJ, RIIS, EINAR, KAJ
Application year: 1994
Main classification: B41F13
IPC codes: B41F13, B41F31